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Listen to Dungen on Rhapsody, the band's website and MySpace...
By: Kayceman
Dungen by Karl Max |
If you were to get on a plane, say in Chicago, fly about twelve hours northeast, over London and up to Sweden, you would land in Stockholm. If you were then to rent a car and travel south for roughly five more hours, hugging the Baltic Sea, you would come to the province of Småland. Småland is a special place. The fertile farms, lush forests and peaceful pace of life have preserved this area, slowing down the years of progress that flood every corner of the globe. Upon arriving in this magical region - known not only for farms and forests but also for crystals and glass blowers - if you knew where to look, you would come upon a large farmhouse with a basement. In 2001, buried in this basement, Gustav Ejstes began his journey into Dungen (pronounced doon-yen, and translated roughly as "a clump of trees").
After six years of hype, lost innocence, drugs, mild depression, a crash course in the business side of music and a soul-searching year of rejuvenation at Malungs folkhögskola (Malungs Folks School), Ejstes has created Tio Bitar (released May 15 in America on Kemado). An instant classic, this is Ejstes' vision fully realized.
Speaking from Stockholm in clear, thoughtful English, the affects of major label bidding wars and publicity campaigns can be heard in Ejstes' guarded choice of words. He realizes doing interviews is part of the game, and while he enjoys talking about music, when questions get personal or drift away from the process of making sounds, he's quick to bring the conversation back to Dungen. "I'm not that kind of artist who loves standing in the center and have everyone watching me," says Ejstes. "I love music and I want to make music, so I just try to do my thing. All the buzz around it comes and goes, I just do my thing."
Dungen :: Coachella 2006 by Dave Vann |
Ejstes' "thing" came to fruition on 2004's international barnburner Ta Det Lugnt. It was the album that introduced the world to Dungen. It garnered many "Best Of" honors and landed the band a slot at the 2006 Bonnaroo music festival. It was the spark that lit the fire for this Swedish sensation, but it almost never happened.
After the release of his self-titled 2001 debut Virgin records showered Ejstes with private jets, limos and guarantees of "the next big thing." As the big wigs hounded Ejstes he released 2002's Stadsvandringar. This world of record deals, label executives and harsh judgment of his music almost crushed Ejstes. He was so broken and paranoid by the experience he swore he'd never make another album.
Dungen :: Bonnaroo 2006 by Dave Vann |
As Ejstes drifted further away from his dreams, Stefan Kéry from the small Subliminal Sounds label in Stockholm convinced Ejstes to put out another album with no pressure, no expectations and no commitments. That album was Ta Det Lugnt. The album's title translates to Take It Easy, and it was a very deliberate message. "I think people should take music seriously and it is serious for me. It's feelings and a way of expression. It's so emotional you get affected by music," explains Ejstes. "At the same time, I think people should not be so quick with judging the way of making music or art or anything creative, to be more open-minded to accept that there is different ways of making music. I said to trendsetters and hipsters to take it easy."
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